Disposable pharmaceutical or cosmetic product applicator

ABSTRACT

Single-use packaging for a dose of liquid, semiliquid, or powder substance, includes a protective cover having two separable parts of leakproof material together with a breakable blister containing the substance and attached to the inside face of one of the two parts.

The present invention relates to single-use packaging for a liquid,semiliquid, or powder substance offered for sale in the form of doses.The preferred field of application of the invention is that of applyingcosmetic, medical, or antiseptic compositions, in particular anycomposition for application to the skin.

When traveling or engaging in sport, it can be desirable to have acosmetic, medical, or antiseptic substance available that is packaged inthe form of one dose for single use, with the packaging beingdiscardable after use.

For example, it is known to enclose such a dose of substance in a smallblister having a flexible wall made from two sheets of plastics materialthat are heat-sealed together around a closed outline. For example,blisters can be made from such sheets in strip form that are united toform a succession of blisters. Doses of substance are injected betweenthe sheets prior to forming the heat seals and the blisters aresubsequently separated from one another. Such a method is described byway of example in French patent application FR 99/14729, which alsoshows how such blisters can be integrated in an applicator-formingpouch. The applicator-forming portion is protected by a leakproofcapsule. At the time of use, the pouch is flattened so that thesubstance wets the applicator thus enabling it to be applied to theskin, or to a wound if the substance is a disinfectant.

The invention seeks to improve that kind of packaging.

More particularly, the invention provides a single-use packaging for aliquid, semiliquid, or powder substance, the packaging being of the typecontaining a breakable leakproof blister containing one dose of saidsubstance, the packaging being characterized in that it comprises aprotective cover made of two separable parts of leakproof material, andin that said blister is attached to the inside face of one of said twoparts.

The first advantage which results from this novel structure is that oncethe protective cover has been opened it makes application easier andthere is no risk of the user covering the fingers with the substance inquestion.

Preferably, when the blister is housed in a pouch including anapplicator, said pouch is fixed to the above-mentioned inside face ofone of the two parts. Under such circumstances, the applicator isimpregnated with substance when the blister is broken, and thisoperation can be performed prior to opening the protective cover, byexerting sufficient finger pressure on the cover to break the blisterinside the applicator.

If use of the substance does not need an applicator, then the blistercan be fixed directly to said inside face.

In a presently preferred embodiment, the cover is made of two flexibleand leakproof parts, typically obtained from sheets of plastics andmetal materials laminated together. The two parts are united by a closedoutline junction line surrounding the location of the pouch.Consequently, when the packaging is offered to the user, the pouch iscompletely enclosed in the leaktight protective cover while the blisteris itself enclosed in the pouch including the applicator. The pouch canbe heat-sealed via one of its faces to said inside face of one of thetwo parts constituting the protective cover.

In an advantageous embodiment, the pouch itself comprises a first partmade of flexible material (typically of the non-woven cloth type) whichis fixed to said inside face, and a second part made of a material thatis flexible and porous, forming said applicator. These two parts areunited by a closed outline junction line and they hold said blistercaptive between them. A piece of cotton wool or the like may be housedin the pouch, preferably between the blister and said second part madeof flexible and porous material forming said applicator.

According to another advantageous characteristic, when the above-definedpackaging contains a dose of disinfectant or treatment substance, forapplication to a wound or a burn, the packaging is associated with anadhesive dressing. More precisely, a peel-off cover containing saidadhesive dressing is fixed via one of its faces on an outside face ofthe protective cover. Consequently, after the substance has beenapplied, the user need not search through other equipment to find anadhesive dressing for protecting a wound, since the dressing isavailable on the packaging itself. In order to ensure that said dressingcan be applied very easily, possibly with one hand only, the outsideface of said dressing is weakly secured to the inside face of theportion of the peel-off cover that is not fixed to the protective cover.This type of dressing is known in itself and is described in U.S. Pat.No. 5,511,689, but the fact of disposing it on the packaging makes iteasier to use.

The invention appears more clearly in the light of the followingdescription of a presently preferred embodiment of single-use packagingimplementing its principle, described solely by way of example and givenwith reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of packaging in accordancewith the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view of the underside of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section view on III-III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view of the open packaging, ready for use;

FIG. 5 shows the implementation of the applicator on a wound; and

FIGS. 6 to 8 show the use of an adhesive dressing.

The single-use packaging 11 as offered to the user is externally in theform of a cover 12, referred to below as a “protective cover” made oftwo separable parts of leakproof material 13, 14. When this applicatoris for applying a disinfectant or the like, said protective covercarries another cover 18 on one of its faces, which other cover can bepeeled off and retains an adhesive dressing. The features of thispeel-off cover and of this dressing are described below. This is merelyan option useful when the substance contained in the packaging is fortreating a wound or a burn to be subsequently protected by saiddressing.

The packaging also contains a leaktight blister 20 that can be broken torelease one dose of substance to be applied. This blister is attached tothe inside face of one of the two parts making up the protective cover.In other words, the blister 20 cannot be detached from the protectivecover 12, even when the cover has been opened. In the example, theblister 20 is housed in a pouch 24 containing an applicator, where thisarrangement is known in itself. The pouch 24 is fixed to the inside face25 of the part 13 of the protective cover. Since the blister 20 isbreakable, the applicator is wetted with said substance once the blisterhas been broken. This operation is performed by applying pressure to theprotective cover 12 prior to opening it.

As can be seen in FIG. 3, the pouch 24 comprises a first part made offlexible material 26 which is secured, specifically heat-sealed, to saidinside face 25, and a second part of material 28 that is flexible andporous, forming said applicator. In the example described, said firstpart 26 is taken from sheet material of the non-woven type, while thesecond part is also taken from a sheet of material of the non-woventype, but which also presents all of the qualities needed for applyingthe substance. It is preferable to use a non-woven type material that isbased on cotton, of the fluffless type. These two parts which areidentical as to shape and dimensions are united by a peripheral junctionline of closed outline. They hold said blister captive between them. Inaddition, a piece of cotton wool 32 or the like is housed in the pouch,between the blister 20 and said second part 28. The two parts formingthe walls of the pouch are united and the pouch is heat-sealed to theinside face 25 of the part 13 of the protective cover 12 by meltingtheir component materials by applying a hot tool having the shape of thejunction outline 30.

The two parts 13, 14 are also made of flexible material and they areunited via a junction line 35 of closed outline surrounding the locationfor the pouch. To make the substance easier to apply, the surface areaof each part 13, 14 of the protective cover is subsequently greater thanthe surface area of the pouch 24 which is fixed in the center of one ofsaid two parts of leakproof material. The junction line 35 thussurrounds an area that is significantly greater than that occupied bythe pouch, substantially at the center of said part of leakproofmaterial. This junction line 35 is a line of adhesive or of heat-sealingthat is not very strong so as to allow the two above-specified parts tobe separated by being peeled apart. Certain laminates of metallizedplastics material have been designed to provide such “peelability”.

By way of example, the part 13 on which the pouch is fixed may be madefrom a laminate constituted by a 12 micrometer (μm) thick layer ofpolyethylene, a layer of metallization, and another layer ofpolyethylene (PE) that is 80 μm thick, making peeling possible. Theother part making up the protective cover may be made out of another,similar laminate. At least one of the two surfaces that are pressedagainst each other is treated so as to make peeling possible once theclosed outline junction line 35 has been made by applying a hot tool ofcorresponding shape against each of the two parts, and after said pouchhas been heat-sealed.

As shown, a fraction of the length of the junction line 35 extends at adistance from the facing edges of said two parts 13, 14 of flexiblematerial, thereby defining two pull tabs 36, 37 for use in separatingsaid two parts. After being included in the protective cover, the pouch24 (and thus in particular the applicator) are subjected tosterilization treatment by gamma rays.

To apply the substance, the center of the closed protective cover issqueezed so as to break the blister 20. The substance then wets theapplicator (see FIG. 4) and it is then possible to open the protectivecover 12 via at least three of its sides. The open cover makes the pouch24 easier to handle and makes it easier to use the substance that hasbeen made available through the applicator (FIG. 5).

The peel-off cover 18 containing the adhesive dressing 19 is fixed viaone of its faces to an outside face of the protective cover 12. Theinside portion 39 of the peel-off cover 18 which is fixed to the outsidesurface of the protective cover presents resistance to being torn offthat is subsequently greater than the force needed for opening thepeel-off cover. Consequently, the inside portion of the peel-off coverremains attached to said protective cover when the peel-off cover isopened in order to take hold of the dressing (see FIG. 6). However, theoutside face of the dressing is weakly secured (e.g. by moderateadhesive) to the inside face of the outside part 40 of the peel-offcover which is not fixed to the protective cover. Consequently, when thepeel-off cover is opened, the dressing 19 remains fixed to the part 40which is pulled. Once the adhesive parts have been separated, thedressing can be applied (FIG. 7) by handling the detached portion ofsaid peel-off cover without any risk of touching the sterilized zone. Incontrast, once they have been applied to the skin, the adhesive zones ofthe dressing stick sufficiently strongly to the skin (FIG. 8) to ensurethat when traction is applied to said portion 40 of the peel-off cover,it is said portion that is detached from the dressing. The sterilizationtreatment may be applied after the peel-off cover containing thedressing has been secured, to said protective cover containing thepouch.

1. Single-use packaging for a liquid, semiliquid, or powder substance, the packaging comprising: a protective cover made of two separable parts of leakproof material, and a breakable leakproof blister containing one dose of said substance, said blister being attached to an inside face of one of said two parts.
 2. Packaging according to claim 1, further comprising a pouch comprising an applicator, and wherein: said blister is housed in said pouch, said pouch is fixed to said inside face, and said applicator is impregnated with said substance when said blister is broken.
 3. Packaging according to claim 2, wherein: said pouch comprises a first part of flexible material fixed to said inside face, and a second part of material that is flexible and porous, forming said applicator, and said two parts are united by a closed outline junction line with said blister being held captive between said two parts.
 4. Packaging according to claim 3, further comprising a piece of cotton wool housed inside the pouch.
 5. Packaging according to claim 2, wherein said protective cover is made of two flexible parts that are united by a closed outline junction line surrounding a location of said pouch.
 6. Packaging according to claim 5, wherein said junction line surrounds an area that is significantly greater than an area occupied by said pouch, and said pouch is located substantially in the center of the area surrounded by said junction line.
 7. Packaging according to claim 5, wherein said junction line permits said two parts to be separated by being peeled apart and is one of: a line of low strength adhesive, and heat-sealing
 8. Packaging according to claim 5, wherein said junction line extends over a fraction of a length of said two parts at a distance apart from facing edges of said two flexible material parts, to define pull tabs which enable said two parts to be separated.
 9. Packaging according to claim 1, further comprising a peel-off cover containing an adhesive dressing with one of its faces fixed on an outside face of said protective cover.
 10. Packaging according to claim 9, wherein an outside face of said dressing is weakly secured to an inside face of a portion of the peel-off cover that is not fixed to the protective cover. 